Sensational sea holly
It’s peak sea holly season at the moment. The particularly warm weather has brought them on a little earlier than normal but the display is probably the best we’ve seen in recent years.
Eryngium planum (pictured) is a commonly seen variety and is particularly easy to propagate. The plants we have are the progeny from cheap supermarket bare-rooted specimens. Three were turned into twelve through simple root cuttings. With a sharp knife and patience we could probaly have made 24!
There are some wonderful varieties to try. ‘Miss Wilmott’s Ghost’, famously spread around her friend’s gardens by the horticulturist who gives it her name, has silvery foliage but is perhaps eclipsed by ‘Silver Ghost’ with a greater degree of metallic lustre. Many of the Eryngium boast metallic blue in their stems and flowers. ‘Picos Blue’ is one of the best. ‘Big Blue’ is another with stunning eye-catching bright blue flowers. For something unusual, have a look at Eryngium bracteatum. It has tall wiry stems, glaucus foliage, and likes a sunny, damp spot. Eryngium agavifolium has, as its name suggests, Agave-like leaves and soft looking pale green flowers.
As mentioned, most can be propagated with root cuttings. If a friend has an example that you particularly love, dig down the side of the plant and take out a few inches of the thicker root. This can be divided into several pieces. Placed in compost it will soon show the beginnings of a new plant as fresh green shoots start to appear.
